York station’s rack for ramps ramps up the debate about ramps
Social media can be a great way to gauge interest in something. But it’s fair to say I wasn’t expecting quite so much reaction to a picture from York station of a new rack to hold ramps that bridge the gap between platforms and trains.
The racks at York are crude. They stand out in a station listed for architectural merit for all the wrong reasons. I’m sure the railway could do better.
Several of the responses to my Twitter post concentrated on the merits of the rack. One reply from a Stephen Foster (with tongue, I hope, in cheek) said: “Climbing frame for kids, how thoughtful.”
Christian Wolmar reckoned: “It’s to put people in the stocks.” This seems harsh, even for fare evaders.
Others used words such as ‘industrial’ and ‘agricultural’ to describe the rack. Several respondents thought it would impede passenger flow along the platform.
The second part of the discussion railed against both the need for ramps in the first place and the need for so many different types.
We need ramps at stations because rail companies and funders such as the Department for Transport have not given any priority to level boarding that helps passengers in wheelchairs. Many simply want to board and alight trains in the same way as so many other people do - without needing help. Level boarding delivers this, but it’s only Greater Anglia that does it out on Network Rail’s tracks.
GA uses trains built by Stadler, and Merseyrail is set to introduce similar stock from the same maker. Other manufacturers have yet to offer low-floor trains to the British market.
Then there’s the number of different designs of ramp, to cope with different trains. My old chum Hassard Stacpoole noted: “This does highlight the ridiculous fact that we don’t have one standard design for all train types for ramps. If we can put a man on the moon, surely as an industry we can have one ramp which can be used on all types of trains?”
There was also a side discussion about the profusion of coupling types introduced following privatisation as new trains entered service, but I have neither the time, inclination or space to delve into that debate!